Hand price marking appliance



July 11, 1939. F. KoHNLE HAND PRICE MARKING APPLIANCE Filed Nov. 24,1956 1N VENTOR.

ATTORNEYS,

Patented July 11', 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT FFiC HAND PRICE MARKINGAPPLIANCE Application November 24, 1936, Serial No. 4112,519

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a hand tool for printing price marking orother data upon merchandise marking tags. The tool preferably is ofnipper type, providing a pair of opposing jaws. The tag is insertedbetween the jaws and they are compressed together for printing themarking data upon the tag.

An object of the invention is to provide a hand tool for print markingmerchandise price tags,

primarily for remarking tags previously applied to the merchandise, tocancel, add or substitute other marking, as when there has been a changein the selling price of the merchandise, and by which a section of thetag bearing a marking for which substitution is made can bev clipped orcut from the tag or left on, showing comparative price reduction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hand tool for printmarking merchandise price tags and the like, employing movable type formarking the printing impression, readily replaceable for quickly andconveniently changing a printing set-up.

Other objects and further advantages of the invention will be more fullyapparent from a description of the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the improved hand tool for typing upon amerchandise price tag and clipping off an end section of the tag,primarily employed in changing or altering the price marking andclipping oil the section containing the marking which the new markingsubstitutes.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a front end elevation thereof.

Figure 4 is a central section througna modified form, carrying two linesof type and eliminating the cutter.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the inking ribbon, with each of itsopposite ends respectively coiled upon a winding spindle or coil.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a tag attached to a piece ofmerchandise, with an end section of the tag clipped therefrom.

The tool, as illustrated, is of a nipper type, comprising a stock Ihaving a rigid handle 2 projecting laterally centrally from the rearside thereof. The stock serves as a stationary jaw, cooperating with amovable jaw 3 slidably mounted upon a pair of vertical studs 4 4 fixedinto the upper side of the stock I. Each stud respectively carries aspring 5, one end thereof recessed into the upper side of the stock, itsopposite end engaging against the under side of the movable jaw forautomatically retracting the jaw when released, after it has beencompressed against the stock by a lever 5, pivotally connected at 6a tothe handle 2.

The hand lever is provided with a square or shouldered end 1 forabuttingly engaging the rear (Cl. lOl-318) side of the stock to limitits outward or jawopening swing. Its forward end is provided with aknuckle connection with the movable jaw, the knuckle end of the leverengaging into a bifurcated rear side of the jaw.l

The knuckle 8 is Aprovided with a wear-resisting metal clip 9, bearingupon a wear-resisting plate I on the lower wall of the bifurcation inthe movable. jaw. The movable jaw is formed to provide a holder formovable type for either one or pliual line printing, wherein the typebars are individually held and sustained against displacement and arecapableof being readily inserted and removed for changing a printingsetup, the structure thereof following an embodiment commonly employedin price marking machines.

Thel jaw 3 is provided with a rectangular opening or socket I2,extending vertically therethrough to Yreceive a given number of typebars IS side by side, with a cross wall of the opening or socketprovided with a series of parallel grooves for a partial length of theopening. Each groove receivesv a rib extending longitudinally from oneside of the shank of a type bar. The rib sustains the type bar withinthe socket against lateral displacement and controls the depth ofinsertion into the socket to obtain perfect alignment of type faces..The opposite ends of the type bar extend beyond the opposite sides oithe jaw, the lower or face side being adapted to be compressed against atag inserted therebeneath, upon compressing the jaw against the stock.

The tool shown in Figures l to 3 provides for a single line of printing,while the modiiied form shown in Figure 4 provides for two lines. Theupper or base end of the type bars abuts against the lower side of aslide I4, sldably mounted upon a rail i5 integrally formed upon theupper side of the jaw 3, conning the type against vertical displacement.The slide provides a shoulder or abutment against which the type barsbear when compressed against the surface to be printed upon. The underside. of the slide is channeled to embrace the rail and the slide ismovably mounted to the rail by a screw It, threaded into the jaw andtraversing an elongated slot iia through the slide.

A bowed leaf spring Ii is recessed within the upper side of the rail andtensioned against the underside of the slide to hold the same in anyadjusted position. The upper side of the slide carries a knob i8 for itsmanual manipulation.

The forward side of the movable jaw 3 is provided with a pair ofrecesses I9-I9, each slotted at its lower side to form a passageway 2lifor an inking ribbon 2|. The ribbon, at each of its opposite endsrespectively, is coiled or reeled within a recess I9 upon a spindle 22,journalled in the jaw and extending exteriorly from the rear sidethereof, and provided with a knurl 23 for manually rotating the spindleto Wind the inking ribbon thereon. The ribbon passes from one spindle tothe other through the passages 20 and horizontally beneath the printingfaces of the type, with which it preferably contacts. Thus, uponimpressing the type upon a tag interposed therebeneath, a printingimpression is made thereon, through a transfer of the ink from theribbon onto the surface of the tag.

Each of the ends of the ribbon respectively is clinched upon a spindleby a curved spring clip 2li, clasped over the spindle. The ribbon iswound at intervals from one spindle on to the other for transferring asection thereof from beneath the type bars, as necessitated throughwear. The coiled or reeled ends of the ribbon are enclosed within theirrecesses in the jaw by a transparent cover plate 25, apertured to socketthe forward ends of the spindles and held in place by a screw-threadedstud 26 projecting from the forward side of the jaw for the reception ofa thumb nut 27 rotatively mounted upon the front side of the cover plate25.

The forward side of the stock l, toward one end, is provided with aslightly upwardly inclined edge 2t, having its inner side edge forming aguide slot 29 for receiving and guiding the insertion of a tag into thethroat of the tool, and for `appropriately locating the same thereinbeneath the line or lines of type.

Ilhe movable jaw, at its lower or under side, has a rail or flange 3@depending therefrom, providing a throat depth stop for limiting thedegree of insertion of the work. The tool being primarily adapted forprinting upon a margin or edge space of a tag, where it is generallypreferred to display the price marking, as illustrated in Figure 6, achange in price marking can be quickly and conveniently made by printingthe new marking at the lower edge of the tag in a space above the oldmarking, and either cancelling the old marking or clipping a section ofthe tag containing the old marking from the tag.

To simultaneously print the new price marking upon `the tag and clip asection bearing the old price marking from the tag, the upper jaw 3 isprovided with a knife blade 3l, removably fixed to the jaw andcooperating with a stationary lade 32 fixed within the stock l. Thestock has an opening 33 therethrough to receive the movable blade 3l andthe throat depth ange 30 upon depressing the movable jaw, and alsoprovides a pocket for the tag cuttings. The opening, at its lower side,Vis sealed by a cover 34, hinged to the stock and held closed under thetension of a spring 35 housed within said opening or pocket 33.

The tool shown in Figure 1 includes a knife for Yclipping oif an endsection of the tag containing the old price marking, as shown in Figure6, while the tool shown in Figure 4 substitutes a second line of typefor a cutter blade to cancel the old price marking, allowing it toremain on the ticket or tag, the latter method being preferable whenthere is a reduction in price from the original price.

The improvement provides a handy and compact hand tool for print markingmerchandise price tags and remarking tags after they have been appliedto the merchandise, as where a change in the price from a previousmarking is to be made, for printing the new price or data to besubstituted for the old and without removing the tag from themerchandise. The old marking can be cancelled or a section of the tagbearing the same can be clipped from the tag. In the employment ofmovable type, with each type bar independently sustained and replaceablewithin one of the jaws of the tool, the printing set-up can be quicklyand conveniently changed.

The tool can be conveniently carried about and a large quantity ofmerchandise remarked Awithout replacing the tags, which is a materialadvantage and saving, particularly for establishments employingpower-driven marking and applying machines, as it eliminates the presentpractice of returning the goods to the marking room forv remarking byremoving the old tag and applying a new one.

Having described my invention, claim:

1. A hand tool for marking tickets, comprising, a stock providing aplaten for supporting the work to be marked and having a rigid handleeX- tended from oneside thereof, a type holder reciprocably mounted onsaid stock for movement towardand from the platen, type bars mountsr inand removable through the tcp of the holder perpendicular to the platen,means on said holder for conning the type bars within holder, a lengthof inking ribbon mounted on the holder and extending across `the face ofthe type adapt-`L ing the type to make a transfer of ink from the ribbononto the work when compressed thereon, and a handle pivotally mounted onsaid rigid handle and connecting with said type holder for actuating thesame.

2. A hand tool for marking tickets, comprising, a stock providing aplaten for supporting the work to be marked, a type holder reciproeablymounted on said stock for movement toward and from the platen, type barsextending through the holder perpendicular to the platen for pressingthe type face upon the work supported upon the platen and replaceablymounted within the holder, a slide on said holder for confining the typebars within the holder, a length of inking ribbon mounted on the holderand extending across the face of the type adapting the type to make atransfer of ink from the ribbon onto the work when compressed thereon,and a handle means -extending from said stock and connected with saidtype holder for actuating the holder.

3. A hand tool for marking tickets, comprising a stock providing aplaten for supporting the work to be marked, a type holder reciprocablymounted on said stock for movement toward and from the platen, andcooperating therewith to provide a denite depth of throat space to gaugethe degree of work insertion, type bars extending through the holderperpendicular to the platen for pressing the type face upon the werksupported upon the platen and replaceably mounted within the holder, aslide on said holder for confining the type bars within the holder, alength oi inking ribbon mounted on the holder and extending across theface of the type adapting the type to make a transfer of ink from theribbon onto the work when 'compressed thereon, cutters disposed inopposition on said stock and type holder between the type and the innerend of the throat space, whereby a ticket inserted in said space mayhave a portion of its foremost end cut away and a succeeding portionmarked, and a handle pivotally mounted on said rigid handle andconnecting with said type holder for actuating the same.

FREDERICK KOHNLE.

